How To Select Multiple Tiles In Start Screen Of Windows 8.1 Update 1

Microsoft’s tiled operating system received its second major update last week when the tech titan released the new Windows 8.1 Update 1 to the public. For those who missed our coverage, Update 1 has brought several new features to the table such as the ability to pin Windows Store apps to the taskbar, app install notifications, title bars, among others. One additional change is the introduction of a new context menu on Start Screen. This context menu carries options for pinning and unpinning, resizing, and uninstallation of apps and other items, which were previously accessible from App Bar. Other than that Microsoft has also changed the way multiple tiles are selected on Start Screen. In this guide we will show you how to select multiple tiles via two different methods in Update 1.

A Bit About The App Bar First

When we reviewed Windows 8.1 Update 1, we showed you how things have changed around in modern UI environment. Besides the new Power and Search options, the Start Screen also makes use of adesktop-styled context menu that lets users access options like pin and unpin tiles from the Start Screen or the taskbar, uninstall apps, or change their size etc. Prior to the Update 1, all these options were accessible from the App Bar at the bottom. Keeping that in mind, Microsoft hasn’t entirely removed it and you can still access it if you want. Here’s how.

When on the Start Screen, the App bar can simply be enabled by pressing the ‘Space bar’ key on your keyboard. This is the same method that users can use to bring up the App Bar of Windows 8 or 8.1. Having done that, you can easily access all the options that are present in context menu directly from the bottom of your screen.

Method 1 To Select Multiple Tiles

The first method of selecting multiple tiles is very simple. Once you have the App Bar enabled, you can simply right-click on your desired tile to start multiple selection. The selected tile is marked, implying that it’s been added to your selection. You can then perform other actions on the selected tiles from the App Bar itself.

That said, the simplest way to select multiple tiles is by pressing and holding ‘CTRL key’ and then left-clicking on your desired tiles. Its the same method which you use to select multiple items on Desktop mode.

After selecting tiles via CTRL key, you can move the tiles around or right-click on a tile from the selection to access context menu options.